BASEBALL: NOTEBOOK

BASEBALL: NOTEBOOK; Walking Off a Loss

By Jack Curry

Published: October 15, 2003

Mike Mussina was so upset with himself, with the Yankees and over losing to Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox on Monday that he walked the nearly two miles from Fenway Park to the Yankees' team hotel after the 3-2 loss. It was after midnight when Mussina trudged with Mike Borzello, the batting-practice pitcher.

''I can only control 60 feet 6 inches,'' Mussina said after Monday's loss, his third of the postseason. ''That's it. I'm doing the job the best I can. The other stuff has to be attended to by other people, not me.'' Joe Torre said of Mussina: ''He's going to tell you about his frustrations. He's going to come out and maybe not necessarily sound right sometimes. Mike Mussina is as much a team man as anyone is on our ball club.'' Jack Curry

Photo: After losing on Monday, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina walked nearly two miles. (Photo by Barton Silverman/The New York Times)